Thomas and Friend Watch Thomas & Friends
by Friedrickson2
Summary: The engines are introduced to the series based around them. Needless to say, their opinions are mixed. Starting with the 1st season episodes, then the 2nd, and so on and so forth. Discontinued permanently.
1. Prologue

"Why is there a screen being mounted, Sir?" asked Edward the Blue Engine one evening, after he and the other engines had all returned to Tidmouth Sheds. The Fat Controller had called for the Scottish Twins, Oliver and Mavis to come to the Sheds, which they did, as well as requesting that Thomas bring Annie and Clarabel to the Sheds with him, and now all of them were watching as some men put up a screen and a camera projector was placed in between James and Toby.

"We're watching a film, are we?" asked Percy excitedly. His driver liked films, and talked about them a lot, and so Percy, although not too bright in some areas (to the perpetual amusement of Gordon, James, Spencer and the less kind diesels), had learnt a lot over the years about films and how they were made.

"I have decided to show to you something which I had planned to view to you all for quite some time," said the Fat Controller.

"I hope it involves my beautiful paint and wheels," said James. He had once noticed a cameraman on Sodor and slowed down in order to show off. He did end up in the picture, and also spent a week doing goods duties on Duck's Branchline for breaking Rule 55.

"Why would they? They'd think it's just Manchester United's private engine," replied Duck, causing several snickers to be heard.

"At least there wouldn't be any quacking from you!"

"If you two begin to bicker, I'll leave you both in the Sheds and never let you out!" threatened the Fat Controller. This shut them up.

"This is a television series that started in 1984 and is based around the Island of Sodor-in particular, this very railway!"

"Hurrah!" cried Percy. "We're famous!"

Edward smirked. His driver had mentioned this television series a while back, and how it was about Thomas, himself (Edward) and all the other engines, but for some reason, a certain LBSCR E2 was the most popular.

"If it's about us, there may be parts made up about us that didn't actually happen," said Emily in a slightly concerned voice. She had heard about this series too, a few years before she came to Sodor, but she was concerned about, if she was in it, if her personality was portrayed correctly.

"There are a few, but I know for a fact that most of these were based on events that have happened on this railway over the years," said the Fat Controller, managing to reassure the green Stirling Single.

"All right then. When will I appear?" asked Oliver. "Wait a while, Oliver," said the Fat Controller as he took a reel and placed it into the camera and, once everything had been set up, began to play the film.

* * *

 **This premise of characters watching our films/TV shows about them or reading books about their exploits has been done a lot of times in various fandoms over the years, but I don't remember this being done here. Then again, in Thomas continuity the TV Show and the books exist too.**

 **And if you think Tidmouth is too small for the number of engines there in this chapter, I'm using the 10-berth version from the RWS.**

 **Thomas & Friends belongs to HiT Entertainment and Mattel. **


	2. Thomas and Gordon

The reel started, and showed a countryside scene with a windmill.

"Sounds simple enough," murmured Henry.

Then the titles appeared. _Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends_. In bright red colours.

"What? They had me, the most splendid engine on the Island, and yet they choose you?!" said James angrily. Gordon and Henry also looked at the little tank engine angrily. Thomas smiled sheepishly.

"Enough, you three," said Edward as the intro continued, showing Thomas (a model version of him) go under a bridge while the words 'Thomas & Gordon' appeared in yellow.

"Oh, I suppose that's alright, if I'm in the first episode," said Gordon, smiling now.

 _Told By Ringo Starr_. "Oh, the Beatle? That's nice," said Duck. Percy, Edward and Emily agreed.

After that, the intro ended and it showed the model of Thomas. The narrator began to speak.

* * *

 _Thomas is a tank engine who lives at the Big Station on the Island of Sodor_.

"Quite accurate-in 1945," muttered Gordon.

 _He's a cheeky little engine with six small wheels, a short stumpy funnel, a short stumpy boiler and a short stumpy dome_.

"That is 100% true," said James with a smirk. Thomas and Percy glared at him.

The film showed Thomas puffing into the station pulling some coaches to the platform as Henry watched.

"This must be before you got your Branchline, Thomas," said Percy.

 _He's a fussy little engine too. Always pulling coaches about, ready for the bigger engines to take on their long journeys._

"Look, at long last! I'm there! The television did great work with my model!" said Gordon excitedly. "Shut up, we're trying to watch this," said Emily in a whisper-shout voice.

 _And when trains come in, he pulls the empty coaches away, so that the Big Engines can go and rest_.

"If only you stuck to that job," muttered James. "I might've been the lead here."

 _Thomas thinks that no engine works as hard as he does. He loves playing tricks on them, especially Gordon, the Biggest and Proudest engine of all._

"That you think no engine works as hard as you hasn't changed," said Gordon cheekily. "Gordon!" called out the Fat Controller.

"At least my face looks well-sculpted," said Gordon.

 _Thomas likes whistling rudely at him. "Wake up lazybones! Why don't you work hard like me?"_

Thomas, James and Percy snickered a bit. Gordon huffed, and Emily looked at Thomas like a disapproving mother.

On screen, Gordon was seen whistling 'Poop! Poop!' and pulling three bogied express coaches painted dark green with cream surrounds.

 _One day, after pulling the Big Express, Gordon had arrived back at the sidings, very tired. He was just going to sleep when Thomas came up to him in his cheeky way. "Wake up lazybones! Do some hard work for a change! You can't catch me!" And off he went, laughing._

"I feel no sympathy for what happened next to you, Thomas," said the Fat Controller.

"Why's that, Sir?" asked Toby. Duck, Mavis, Percy, the Twins, Oliver, James and Emily were equally confused.

 _Instead of going to sleep again, Gordon thought how he could get back at Thomas._

"Oh dear," said Thomas in a nervous voice. Gordon and Henry looked at one another. The blue A1 grinned. He, Thomas, Henry and Edward, who was looking at him disapprovingly, knew what happened next.

"What happened?" asked a curious Duck. Neither Thomas nor Gordon answered him.

 _One morning, Thomas wouldn't wake up. His driver and fireman couldn't make him start._

"Huh. You look old tired," said Oliver.

 _His fire had gone out and there was not enough steam._

"Oh dear," said Thomas in a louder voice. James, Percy and Emily looked at him.

 _It was nearly time for the Express. People were waiting but the coaches weren't ready._

"Not very interesting so far," said James snidely. "Wait," said a grinning Gordon.

 _At last, Thomas started. "Oh dear! OH DEAR!" he yawned._

"Oh dear, oh dear," groaned Thomas in the real world.

 _He fussed into the station where Gordon was waiting. "Hurry up, you!" said Gordon._

" _Hurry yourself!" replied Thomas._

"This is not going to end well," said Annie.

"No indeed," answered Clarabel.

 _Gordon began making his plan. "Yes," said Gordon,_ _I will!_ _"_

"Oh no," muttered Edward. Henry did the engine equivalent of a shrug.

 _And almost before the coaches had stopped moving, Gordon reversed quickly and was coupled to the train. "Get in quickly please!" he whistled._

 _Thomas usually pushed behind the big trains to help them start, but he was always uncoupled first._

The television Thomas whistled as it dawned on the other engines what television Gordon was about to do.

 _This time, Gordon had started so quickly that they forgot to uncouple Thomas. Gordon's chance had come._

"You didn't!" exclaimed a wide-eyed Duck. Emily, Percy, Toby and Mavis were similarly shocked.

Then, a loud, brass piece of music began to play as TV Gordon rushed through. "A nice leitmotif for me," said Gordon quietly and happily.

" _Come on! Come on!" puffed Gordon to the coaches._

 _The train went faster and faster-too fast for Thomas. He wanted to stop, but he couldn't!_

" _Peep, peep! Stop, stop!"_

"Did he really do that?" asked a shocked Percy to Thomas.

" _Hurry , hurry, hurry!" laughed Gordon. "You can't get away, you can't get away," laughed the coaches._

"Yes, I did," said a smiling Gordon as the scene changed to an exhausted Thomas.

 _Poor Thomas was going faster than he had ever gone before. He was out of breath, and his wheels hurt him but he had to go on! "I shall never be the same again!" he thought sadly. "My wheels will be quite worn out!"_

Gordon chuckled to himself. James did the same, albeit a bit more reluctantly.

Eventually, Gordon's leitmotif began to slow down, as did television Gordon, at a model Wellsworth station.

 _At last, they stopped at a station._

"It was fun while it lasted, little Thomas," said Gordon. Percy, Duck, Donald, Douglas and Emily stared at him angrily.

 _Thomas was uncoupled, and he felt very silly and exhausted. Next, he went onto a turntable, thinking of everyone laughing at him_.

"As if he wasn't hurt enough," said Edward in a stern voice.

 _And then he went onto a siding, out of the way._

" _Well, little Thomas," chuckled Gordon, "now you know what hard work means. Don't you?"_

"Hoorrid eengun," said Donald crossly.

 _Poor Thomas couldn't answer. He had no breath. He just puffed slowly away to rest, and had a long, long drink._

"I know he was cheeky, but did you have to do that to him?" asked Toby, as the final scene appeared.

 _He went home slowly, and was careful afterwards never to be cheeky to Gordon again._

After the credits ended, the Fat Controller had the camera paused in order to hear what the engines had to say.

* * *

"Gordon, I have known that you are pompous, occasionally a wee bit snooty, and downright classist at times," began Emily angrily, "but I had no idea until now that you had the nerve to actually torture Thomas like that. I'm not viewing him with stars either for his cheek, but how you got back at him was completely unfair. And to think you call yourself Flying Scotsman's brother! He doesn't belittle little engines or pull them down the line!"

Gordon, Thomas and the other engines looked at her with widened eyes, and in the case of James, Gordon and Thomas, with some fear.

Finally Edward spoke: "At least I won't be alone on the moral high ground."

This caused half the engines there to break down laughing, probably aided by the tense silence.

"But she is being serious," said Duck. "And as we all know, this did nothing to stop Thomas."

"I know," said Thomas, looking at his buffers.

"Enough arguing," said Mavis, getting tired, "we're here to find out about our lives, and that means letting go already."

"She's right-it won't be long before we see Edward introduced," said the Fat Controller. This immediately ended the debate about Gordon's overkill punishment, and they set out to watch episode 2.

* * *

 **AN: The first episode watched by the engines. I love their reactions.**

 **My idea for Emily is that, like her season 7 personality, she'll be on the moral high ground with Edward. So she'll be seeing her friends very, very differently from now onwards.**

 **And as for why Edward is on the moral high ground, default.**


	3. Edward and Gordon

The intro came on.

"I think I'm beginning to enjoy the music," said Annie.

"I'm beginning to enjoy the music at the beginning too," said Clarabel to her sister.

The titles came up. _Edward and Gordon_.

"How original," muttered Gordon sarcastically as the intro began to end.

* * *

 _One day, Edward was in the shed where he lived with the other engines. They were all bigger than Edward, and boasted about it._

Emily, Annie and Clarabel immediately looked at Edward with kind looks, then at Gordon, Henry and Thomas unsympathetically, while Percy wondered how Thomas could be classified as bigger than Edward.

" _The driver won't choose you again!" said Gordon. "He wants strong engines like us!"_

Toby glared angrily at Gordon. "Elitist," he muttered under his breath. The Fat Controller had a disapproving look on his face.

 _But the driver and fireman felt sorry for Edward._

"How kind they were," murmured Edward happily, a smile on his face.

" _Would you like to come out today?" (asked the driver and fireman). "Oh, yes please!" said Edward._

 _So they lit his fire, made lots of steam and Edward puffed away._

Television Edward whistled as the other engines stayed there with cross expressions.

"It's amazing how you were all so conceited back then," said Oliver disapprovingly.

 _The other engines were very cross at being left behind._

A piece of music began to play as it next showed Edward pulling three old coaches painted dark green like Emily.

"What happened to those coaches, anyway?" asked James curiously.

"I think my father placed them in the Sodor Railway Museum in the 1970s," said the Fat Controller.

TV Edward then puffed under the bridge Thomas did in the intro.

 _Edward worked hard that day. The coaches thought he was kind, and the driver was very pleased._

"Age isn't everything, Gordon," said Duck. Gordon glared at the pannier tank.

" _I'm going out again tomorrow," Edward told the other engines that night. "What do you think of that?"_

Henry and Thomas were then shown with unhappy faces, as the narrator said- _But he didn't hear what they thought, for he was so tired and happy that he fell asleep at once._

"I doubt it was kind," said Mavis. "No, it was not," said Henry, looking at his buffers.

* * *

 _Next morning, Edward woke up to find nothing had changed. Gordon was still boasting._

Everybody rolled their eyes.

" _You watch me, little Edward, as I rush through with the Express. That will be a splendid sight for you."_

"Oond eet nevurr is," muttered Douglas.

 _Poop! Poop! "Goodbye, little Edward! Look out for me this afternoon!"_

"Does something happen to him?" asked James.

"How come you model's there," asked Percy "if you're asking about the details?"

 _Edward went off to do some shunting._

Thomas and Percy smiled at Edward. He returned the smile.

And everyone chuckled as a truck bashed into another on the screen.

 _Edward liked shunting. It was fun playing with trucks. He would come up quietly and give them a push. Then he would stop until the silly trucks went 'bump' into each other. "Oh!" they cried. "Whatever is happening?"_

The engines chuckled again as TV Edward reversed.

 _Edward played until there were no more trucks. Then he stopped to rest._

"I bet I come in with the Express," boasted Gordon proudly. "Zip it-now," said Oliver crossly.

 _Presently, he heard a whistle._

 _Poop, poop!_

"Oh dear," said Toby and Emily, waiting for Gordon's boasting to begin.

 _Gordon was very cross._

"Huh?" said a confused Gordon. Edward smiled cheekily. Thomas and Percy chuckled.

 _Instead of nice, shining coaches, he was pulling a lot of very dirty trucks._

Everybody-bar Gordon, and even the Fat Controller, laughed out loud.

" _A goods train! A goods train! A goods train!" he grumbled. "The shame of it, the shame of it, oh the shame of it!"_

Gordon in the real world looked embarrassed. Edward looked knowingly at him-he knew what came up next, and so did Gordon.

 _Edward laughed, and went to find some more trucks._

"Wow! You had a sense of humour!" said James sarcastically.

 _Then there was trouble. "Gordon can't get up the Hill! The porter called to Edward's driver. "Will you take Edward and push him please?"_

Gordon's face reddened. "So that's how it was named after you!" said Emily quietly.

 _They found Gordon halfway up and very, very cross. His driver and fireman were talking to him severely. "You're not trying!"_

"You never do," murmured Thomas.

" _I can't do it!" said Gordon. "The noisy trucks hold an engine back so!"_

"The truth for us all," said Mavis.

 _Edward's driver came up. "We've come to push."_

" _No use at all," said Gordon. "You wait and see," replied Edward's driver._

"Wait and see he did," chuckled Edward, as the screen showed Gordon and his train coming down the Hill, the brakes screeching.

 _They brought the train back to the bottom of the Hill._

" _I'm ready!" said Edward. "No good!" grumbled Gordon. The pulled and pushed as hard as they could._

The engines' eyes were glued to the screen as Edward helped Gordon up the Hill.

" _I can't do it! I can't do it! I can't do it!" puffed Gordon. "I will do it, I will do it, I will do it!" puffed Edward. Edward pushed and puffed and puffed and pushed as hard as ever he could….._

 _And almost before he realised it, Gordon found himself at the top of the Hill._

" _I've done it, I've done, I've done it!" he said proudly._

Everyone looked at Gordon again, with contempt as his TV-self sped downhill, with Edward trailing behind.

 _He forgot all about poor Edward and didn't even stop to say 'Thank You'. Edward was left out of breath and far behind._

 _He ran on to the next station, and there he found that the driver and fireman were very pleased with him._

Thomas and Emily smiled at Edward. He returned the smiles.

 _The fireman gave him a nice long drink. And the driver said, "I'll get out my paint tomorrow, and give you a beautiful coat of blue with red stripes. Then you'll be the smartest engine in the shed."_

The last shot was Edward smiling before the credits came rolling.

* * *

"So that was how it became called 'Gordon's Hill'," said Toby.

"It must like you if you keep getting stuck on it every so often," chucked Duck. The other tank engines chuckled.

"But that was not kind of you, Gordon-leaving him behind without a 'Thank You'," said Henry. "Looking back, I feel guilty for being rude to you, Edward."

"You've forgiven me enough, Henry," replied Edward, smiling.

"Either way, if I wasn't there, how come there's a model of me?" asked James.

"It must be there to be Eagle, an old friend of mine from the early days of the Railway," said Edward. "He went back to the Mainland after nationalisation and I hate to say it, I think he may have been scrapped."

Several of the engines shivered.

"Right then-anyone for more?" asked Edward. "I'm enjoying these so far."


	4. The Sad Story of Henry

The intro appeared, as well as the jaunty theme by O'Donnell and Campbell. When the titles came, it was a more sombre name: _The Sad Story of Henry_. Henry's expression immediately went a bit sour, as he realised that this episode had to be about one of his most infamous early exploits.

The first scene the engines saw was of Henry pulling three Express coaches in the rain, while a brass-sounding leitmotif played.

It was the narration though, that confirmed it for Henry.

* * *

 _Once an engine attached to a train was afraid of a few drops of rain._

"Oh dear," groaned Henry. Gordon smiled, while Edward and Thomas looked at the big green engine with sympathetic looks, as on the screen the Ballahoo Tunnel appeared, and Henry rushed through it.

 _He went into a tunnel, and squeaked through his funnel, and wouldn't come out again!_

Everybody looked at Henry. They knew immediately this had to be the story of the tunnel.

 _The engine's name was Henry. His driver and fireman argued with him, but he would not move._

"I remember this," said Edward sadly.

" _The rain will spoil my lovely green paint and red stripes," he said._

The television guard blew his whistle, and James glanced at Henry with mildly unsympathetic looks.

 _The guard blew his whistle until he had no more breath, and he waved his flag until his arms ached, but Henry still stayed in the tunnel and blew steam at him._

"Rude, Henry, rude," muttered Emily.

" _I'm not going to spoil my lovely green paint and red stripes for you!"_

"I think I know what happens now," said Thomas.

 _Then, along came Sir Topham Hatt-the man in charge of all the engines on Sodor. They call him 'The Fat Controller'._

Everybody laughed nervously as the Fat Controller looked around Tidmouth Sheds.

"We do sir, we do," said Edward, chuckling slightly.

* * *

" _We will pull you out!" said the Fat Controller._

Gordon, Henry (nervously) and James laughed. Thomas, Edward, Duck and Toby rolled their eyes.

"This was my grandfather," said the Fat Controller nervously.

 _But Henry only blew steam at him._

"Tut, tut," said James snarkily.

 _Everyone pulled, except the Fat Controller. "Because, cough," he said, "my doctor has forbidden me to pull!"_

Everyone chuckled, while the Fat Controller smiled and covered his mouth, laughing at how bad an excuse that was.

 _But still Henry stayed in the Tunnel._

 _Then they tried pushing from the other end._

The engines chuckled again when they Fat Controller stood on a log and a man held an umbrella over his head.

 _The Fat Controller said "One, two, three, push!" But he didn't help. "cough My doctor has forbidden me to push!" he said._

The laughs grew.

 _They pushed and pushed and pushed, but still Henry stayed in the Tunnel._

"Yes, because 50 people can push out a 100-ton engine," said Oliver.

 _At last, Thomas came along. The guard waved his red flag and stopped him._

"After forgetting his coaches, I imagine," said Gordon quietly, causing James and himself to snicker while Thomas glared at them angrily.

 _Everyone argued with Henry. "Look! It has stopped raining!" they said._

"Like that'll work," muttered James.

" _Yes, but it will begin again soon," said Henry. "And what would become of my green paint and red stripes then?"_

"Goodness, now I know why James is a narcissist," said Gordon. James and Henry glared at him, thinking of ways to push him off a cliff. Emily and Edward were just glaring.

The television Thomas puffed up and soon his buffers were touching the back coach.

 _Thomas pushed and puffed and pushed as hard as ever he could._

"I moved him!" said Thomas happily. "About two inches," said Henry. "Six," said Donald.

 _But still Henry stayed in the Tunnel._

"I think I know what happens here," said Edward in a grim voice as TV Thomas's wheels spun on the track.

"What were you eating that day?" asked Gordon cheekily, earning him glares from everybody.

 _Eventually, even the Fat Controller gave up._

"Oh dear," said Henry sadly.

" _We shall take away your rails," he said, "and leave you here for always and always and always."_

"Did they really?" asked Percy quietly.

Henry and Edward did the engine equivalent of a nod.

 _They took up the old rails and built a wall in front of him so that Henry couldn't get out of the Tunnel any more._

The television showed the men putting up the wall. The engines looked at Henry with varying thoughts; Thomas, Percy, Toby, Edward and Emily with sympathetic looks, Duck, Annie, Clarabel, Mavis, Oliver, Donald and Douglas more pragmatic thoughts, and Gordon and James with schadenfreude.

 _All he could do was watch the trains rushing through the other tunnel._

"Harsher than what Gordon did to Thomas," murmured Duck.

 _He was very sad, because he thought no-one would see his lovely green paint and red stripes again. As time went on, Edward and Gordon would often pass by._

 _Edward would say "Peep, peep! Hello!"_

Henry smiled at Edward. The old engine was always kind.

 _And Gordon would say, "Poop! Poop! Poop! Serves you right!"_

Gordon received angry looks from everyone. Then a sad piece of music began playing.

 _Poor Henry had no steam left to answer. His fire had gone out._

"Poor, poor thing," said Emily quietly.

 _Soot and dirt from the Tunnel had spoiled his lovely green paint with red stripes anyway. He wondered if he would ever be allowed to pull trains again._

Thomas and Edward looked at the green engine again.

 _But I think he deserved his punishment. Don't you?_

* * *

The episode ended and the engines looked at Henry, again with varying looks.

"Ya daserved a poonishment fer blockin' the track, Henry. Boot thet was too seveer," said Douglas.

"I agree with the Twins-that punishment was too severe," said Duck. "I agree, looking back on it-what were you thinking?" said Henry.

"Peent ya blue," said Douglas. Edward looked at him quizzically.

"I feel sorry for you Henry. I really do. Who knows how long you were stuck inside that tunnel for?" said Percy sadly. Henry looked at the green saddletank and smiled weakly.

"Well, I felt a bit glad that it was the Tunnel. I wasn't a good steamer then, and I was a mess when it came to design. Any other railway director would have had me cut up, but Sir Topham Hatt was merciful, in a way."

"I'm inclined to agree with you Henry," said the Fat Controller in a sadder tone.

"Thank you sir. Thank you," said Henry, as they continued playing, in order to see the adaptation of how Henry got out of the Tunnel.

* * *

 **Sorry for the wait. I hope you all enjoy this one.**

 **And Douglas's suggestion of painting Henry blue is a nod to the books, as Henry was painted blue with red stripes between the end of _The Three Railway Engines_ up until _Troublesome Engines_.**

 **Reviews are welcome, but you don't have to if you don't want to!**


	5. Edward, Gordon, and Henry

The titles this time said _Edward, Gordon and Henry_. Henry and Edward smiled, as did Gordon, though only because he was going to have a prominent role in this one, as the first scene showed a red engine that resembled James (in real life, James had not arrived on Sodor at this point, so it was clear to the engines that were there that this was probably there representing Eagle) puffed into Knapford with a goods train as Gordon was at the platform with the Express.

* * *

 _Gordon always pulled the Big Express. He was proud of being the only engine strong enough to do so._

"Of course, we know now that's not the case," chuckled Henry, smiling. The other engines chuckled too (bar Gordon, who simply furrowed his eyebrows).

 _It was full of important people, like the Fat Controller, and Gordon was seeing how fast he could go._

"Even then?" sighed Emily. Edward and Thomas did the engine equivalent of a nod.

" _Hurry, hurry, hurry," he said. "Trickety-trock! Trickety-trock! Trickety-trock!" said the coaches._

Gordon beamed.

 _In a minute, Gordon would see the Tunnel, where Henry stood bricked up and lonely._

Thomas, Edward, Percy and Emily looked at the big green engine with sad looks, as it showed Henry bricked up.

" _Oh dear!" thought Henry. "Why did I worry about rain spoiling my lovely coat of paint? Will the Fat Controller ever forgive me and let me out again?"_

"He did," said the Fat Controller. Henry smiled.

" _I'm going to Poop! Poop! at Henry," said Gordon._

Thomas looked at the big A1 again crossly.

 _He was almost there, when…_

Wheesh! Steam came out of his cab. Henry, Percy, James, the Scottish Twins, Mavis and Thomas snickered.

… _and there was Gordon going slower and slower in a cloud of steam. His driver stopped the train._

" _What has happened to me?" asked Gordon. "I feel so weak."_

"I believe it's 'karma'," said Duck cheekily.

" _You've burst your safety valve," said the driver. "You can't pull the train anymore."_

The other engines snickered away, while Gordon's face reddened.

" _Oh dear!" said Gordon. "We were going so nicely too! And look, there's Henry laughing at me!"_

Gordon's face reddened even further, while the other engines continued laughing.

 _Everyone came to see Gordon. "Huh!" said the Fat Controller, "I never like these Big Engines-always going wrong. Send for another engine at once!"_

The Fat Controller turned to Gordon with a smirk.

 _While the guard went to find one, they uncoupled Gordon, who had enough puff to slink onto a siding, out of the way._

Edward and Henry looked at one another and smiled.

"I feel so sorry for you Gordon," said Emily. "Really?" asked Gordon. "No," she snapped.

 _Edward was the only engine left. "I'll come and try!" he said._

Gordon looked at Edward and blushed.

" _Huh!" said Gordon. "That's no use. Edward can't push the train!"_

Thomas looked at Edward, and they both smiled.

 _Edward puffed and pushed and puffed as hard as he could, but he couldn't move the heavy coaches. "I told you so," said Gordon. "Why not let Henry try?"_

"No sarcasm," said Gordon to Henry.

" _Yes!" said the Fat Controller. "I will!"_

"Hooray!" cried Percy.

" _Will you help pull this train, Henry?" he asked. "Oh, yes!" said Henry._

"How long was that?" asked Toby. "About five months," replied Henry, as they showed Henry's fire being lit and his getting enough steam.

 _When Henry had got up steam, he puffed out. He was dirty and covered with cobwebs. "Ooh, I'm stiff, I'm stiff!" he groaned._

Several workmen and engine crewmen snickered at this quote before being silenced by a glare from the Fat Controller.

" _Have a run to ease your joints, and find a turntable," said the Fat Controller._

* * *

 _When Henry came back, he felt much better. Then, they coupled him up._

"I remember this like yesterday," said Edward quietly and happily.

" _Peep, peep!" said Edward, "I'm ready!" "Peep, peep, peep! So am I!"_

The other engines looked at them both with respectful looks.

" _Pull hard, we'll do it! Pull hard, we'll do it!" they puffed together._

"Hurrah for Henry," said Percy and Thomas excitedly. Edward smiled, henry beamed and Gordon stopped being embarrassed, looking at the two of them with a bit of an impressed look.

" _We've done it together! We've done it together!" said Edward and Henry. "You've done it-hurray! You've done it-hurray!" sang the coaches. Everyone was excited._

The Fat Controller watched with a smile on his face.

 _The Fat Controller leaned out of the window to wave at Edward and Henry, but the train was going so fast that his hat blew off into a field, where a goat ate it for tea!_

Everyone laughed, including Gordon and the Fat Controller.

 _They never stopped, until they came to the station at the end of the line. The passengers all said 'Thank you', and the Fat Controller promised Henry a new coat of paint._

"Which you deserved," said Edward and the Fat Controller. Henry agreed.

"You redeemed yourself," said Edward. "Yes, I did."

 _On their way home, Edward and Henry helped Gordon back to the Shed. All three engines are now great friends. Henry doesn't mind the rain now- he knows that the best way to keep his paint nice is not to run into tunnels, but to ask his driver to rub him down when the day's work is over._

"Thank goodness you left that Tunnel, Henry," said Percy. "Now you're a Very Useful Engine."

"Thank you, but I think that Gordon should be thanked too. Had he not burst his safety valve, I would probably still be in that Tunnel," said Henry. Gordon looked at Henry, then back at his buffers.

"Yes-well, um, well…..You're welcome, Henry," he said, smiling.

"I know," said Henry.

* * *

 **I think we all know why the workmen were laughing.**

 **Review if you like it or not!**


	6. Thomas's Train

_Thomas' Train_ was the title this time. Thomas immediately beamed. His first train! He was so excited to see how this account went.

James looked at Henry and Gordon. The three Big Engines grinned together. Edward looked at them, then at Thomas's optimistic expression, then sighed. The little engine was going to be very embarrassed, as the model version of Knapford was shown.

* * *

 _Thomas the Tank Engine was grumbling to the other engines. "I spend my time pulling coaches about, ready for you to take out on journeys! The other engines laughed._

"I was only chuckling. You were quite ambitious then," said Edward, his cheeks a tiny bit pink. Gordon, Henry and James were chuckling.

" _Why can't I pull passenger trains too?"_

" _You're too impatient," they said. "You'd be sure to leave something behind."_

Percy and the Scottish Twins looked at Thomas with slightly sympathetic looks. Annie and Clarabel gave one another looks. They knew what would be coming.

" _Rubbish!" said Thomas. "I'll show you!"_

"And you did," chuckled Gordon, earning him a glare from Edward, Duck, Annie and Clarabel, Percy, the Fat Controller and Emily. Thomas didn't hear-he was still watching, hoping for his first train.

 _One night, he and Henry were alone._

"I think he's suppressed this memory," murmured Edward to Henry. "I know-I found his enthusiasm funny. The leaving coaches behind wasn't as funny," replied the green engine.

 _Henry was ill. The men worked hard, but he didn't get better._

Thomas, Percy and Emily gave him looks of kindness. Emily remembered when Henry's tubes had leaked, and she was the only one who believed him.

"I can't wait for this," said James with a smile. Gordon did the same. Henry too, though like always, he wasn't as willing.

 _He felt just as bad the next morning. Henry usually pulled the first train, and Thomas had to get his coaches ready. "If Henry is ill," he thought, "perhaps I shall pull his train."_

Gordon and James chuckled. Thomas shushed them.

 _Thomas ran to find the coaches. "Come along, come along!" he fussed. "There's plenty of time-there's plenty of time," they grumbled._

"You really were fussy. Who knew?" murmured Duck. "Aye," said Donald.

 _Thomas took them to the platform, and wanted to run around in front at once._

 _But his driver wouldn't let him. "Don't be impatient, Thomas!" Thomas waited, and waited. The people got in, the guard and stationmaster walked up and down, the porter banged the doors, and still Henry didn't come._

"But I was there and ready," said Thomas. Gordon grinned, and Thomas saw it.

 _Thomas got more and more excited. The Fat Controller came to see what was the matter, and the guard and the stationmaster told him about Henry. "Find another engine then!" he ordered._

" _There's only Thomas," they said._

"Wow! Your first train," said Percy quietly. "I bet it was exciting!"

"It sure was," said Thomas, now beginning to realise what this episode was about.

* * *

" _You'll have to do then, Thomas! Be quick now!"_

 _So Thomas ran around to the front and backed down on the coaches, ready to start._

"It's always nice when you pull your first train," said Mavis, smiling. "Agreed," said Toby.

" _Don't be impatient!" said his driver. "Wait until everything is ready!" But Thomas was too excited to listen._

Thomas's cheeks reddened, and he looked down at his buffers.

 _What happened then, no-one knows._

A shot of Thomas's back buffers and the first coach's buffers showed, and they were uncoupled, as Thomas's buffers began to move further away.

 _Perhaps they forgot to couple Thomas to the train, or perhaps the driver pulled the lever by mistake. Anyhow, Thomas started. As he passed the first signalbox, men waved and shouted. But he didn't stop. "They're waving because I'm such a splendid engine," he thought importantly._

Gordon, Henry, James and the Scottish Twins began chuckling-Gordon and James at Thomas, Henry at how the driver didn't notice (and his nervousness at how Thomas and the other engines might see him now), the Twins at how the people could've been so stupid. Emily, Toby, Percy and the Fat Controller looked at the E2 with understanding looks, though Edward's were the most understanding (he was eager, thought the K2.).

" _Henry says it's hard to pull trains, but I think it's easy. Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!" he puffed, pretending to be like Gordon._

Some of the engines chuckled, including Thomas.

" _People have never seen me pulling a train before. It's nice of them to wave," and he whistled. Pip Peep! "Thank you!"_

Thomas sighed. "It's alright," said Percy, "we all make mistakes." "He's right," said Mavis.

 _Then he came to a signal at 'Danger'. "Bother!" he thought. "I must stop, and I were going so nicely too! What a nuisance signals are!" He blew an angry 'Peep! Peep!' on his whistle._

"Here it comes," whispered Gordon. Donald and Douglas, always ones to take the moral high ground, gave them angry looks.

 _The signalman ran up. "Hullo Thomas," he said, "what are you doing here?" "I'm pulling a train," said Thomas, "can't you see?"_

" _Where are your coaches then?" Thomas looked back._

" _Why, bless me," he said, "if we haven't left them behind!" "Yes," said the signalman. "You'd better go back quickly and fetch them."_

Thomas looked down at his buffers, his cheeks red from embarrassment. Percy, Toby, Edward, Annie and Clarabel, Emily, Duck, Oliver and the Twins gave him pitying looks.

 _Poor Thomas was so sad he nearly cried. "Cheer up," said his driver, "let's go back and try again."_

Henry wasn't laughing now, and gave the little blue engine a look that said, 'I'm sorry for laughing.' Thomas saw it and smiled weakly. He never liked this memory, so he had kept it hidden away for years.

 _At the station, all the passengers were talking at once. They were telling the Fat Controller what a bad railway it was. But when Thomas came back they saw how sad he was, and they couldn't be cross._

Most of the other engines smiled at Thomas, attempting to keep his spirits up.

 _He was coupled to the train, and this time he really pulled it._

Thomas smiled, a bit stronger now. His cheeks weren't as red, and he was happy most of his friends understood.

 _But for a long time afterwards, the other engines laughed at Thomas, and said "Look! There's Thomas who wanted to pull a train but forgot about the coaches!"_

* * *

The episode ended, and before long the other engines began discussing it.

"It's amazing how the driver didn't notice there was no train," said Edward.

"Not even I know how Jerry or Ben didn't see it," said Thomas.

"I can't believe I was laughing," said Henry sadly.

"You've mellowed, Henry," said Toby. "Thomas has done the same, and Mavis and Oliver too. Gordon and James, however….."

Some of the engines laughed. Gordon and James just looked at the steam tram with venom.

"Keep in mind I was a bit arrogant and over-enthusiastic when I was younger too. Not just Thomas-it happens with a lot of engines with age," said Edward in a nostalgic tone and a wide smile.

Thomas looked at his old friend and smiled. "Thanks Edward. It's good to see you understand."

"Of course, that was your first official passenger train," said Gordon. "How about your first goods train?" He said this part with a devilish smirk.

* * *

 **After I named them, I realised that Thomas's driver and fireman were named after the ice-cream brand. This was completely unintentional.**

 **If you want to, you can share.**


	7. Thomas and The Trucks

The sixth episode was called _Thomas and the Trucks_. Thomas became a bit worried. He knew that this was most definitely his first encounter with trucks, and this was a memory he didn't like.

Edward knew the same. He had also gotten a reprimanding from the Fat Controller after that incident.

In the end, nobody wanted to say anything (it was still too early considering they had just stopped discussing the previous episode where Thomas had forgotten the coaches) and decided just to watch this episode.

* * *

 _Thomas the Tank Engine wouldn't stop being a nuisance._

"You never did," muttered James.

 _Night after night, he kept the other engines awake. "I'm tired of pushing coaches; I want to see the world."_

 _The other engines didn't take much notice, for Thomas was a little engine with a long tongue._

"Some things never change," said Gordon. "Shut up and watch!" hissed Oliver and Percy, annoyed.

 _But one night, Edward came to the shed. He was a kind little engine and felt sorry for Thomas._

The two aforementioned engines smiled at one another, like the aging father and the son who still had much to learn.

" _I've got some trucks to take home tomorrow. If you take them instead of me, I'll push coaches in the Yard. "Thank you," said Thomas, "that will be nice."_

Gordon and James chuckled. "You wouldn't laugh if it was you," said Edward, "Especially you, James." The red engine fell silent at this.

 _The next morning, Edward and Thomas asked their drivers, and when they said 'Yes', Thomas ran off happily to find trucks._

"The memories," said Edward lightly and happily. "It's always nice to teach other engines about things and see them grow wiser and experienced."

* * *

 _Now trucks are silly and noisy. They talk a lot and don't attend to what they are doing. And I'm sorry to say that they play tricks on an engine that's not used to them._

Every engine present knew those words to be the plain and simple truth.

 _Edward knew all about trucks, and warned Thomas to be careful, but Thomas was too excited to listen._

Gordon grinned. James as well, though he was thinking now, because of Edward's words.

 _The shunter fastened the coupling. And when the signal dropped, Thomas was ready. The guard blew his whistle. "Peep, peep!" answered Thomas and started off. But the trucks weren't ready._

"Oh dear," said Henry.

" _Oh! Oh! Oh!" they screamed. "Wait, Thomas, wait!" But Thomas wouldn't wait. "Come on, come on!" he puffed. "All right, all right, don't fuss, alright, don't fuss," grumbled the trucks._

Oliver looked at Thomas with an understanding look. He had had his own bad experiences with trucks, and he knew what Thomas felt at that time.

On the screen, a ditty by O'Donnell and Campbell (who were gaining great reputations in the eyes of the engines) began playing-a remix of the intro music.

 _Thomas began going faster and faster. "Whee!" he whistled as he rushed through Henry's Tunnel._

"How come it's a CCT van now?" asked Emily. "It was two small vans when he got in the Tunnel, now it's a CCT van and a smaller van."

Nobody could answer her.

" _Hurry, hurry!" called Thomas. He was feeling very proud of himself, but the trucks grew crosser and crosser._

"We've all been there," said Mavis. "Hmm," agreed Toby.

 _At last, Thomas slowed down, as he came to Gordon's Hill._

"Rules are rules," said Duck in a deadpan manner.

" _Steady now, steady," warned the driver, as they reached the top._

Thomas smiled weakly. It had felt like a triumph to reach the top of Gordon's Hill.

* * *

 _He began to put on the brakes. "We're stopping, we're stopping!" called Thomas. "No, no! No, no!" answered the trucks, bumping into each other. "Go on! Go on!"_

Thomas, Percy, Edward, Henry, Toby, Duck, Annie and Clarabel, Oliver, Mavis and the Scottish Twins grew worried looks. Even James began to look at Thomas in a sympathetic way.

 _And before the driver could stop them, they had pushed Thomas down the hill, and were laughing and rattling behind him. Poor Thomas tried to stop them from making him go too fast. "Stop pushing! Stop pushing!" he hissed, but the trucks took no notice. "Go on! Go on!" they giggled in their silly way._

Everyone was now worried for Thomas. Percy, Oliver and Emily were hoping there hadn't been a crash.

" _There's the station! Oh dear, what shall I do?" he cried._

Percy closed his eyes tightly.

 _He rattled straight through and swerved into the goods yard. Thomas shut his eyes. "I must stop!"_

As it showed Thomas hitting the buffers softly, the engines sighed, relieved.

 _When he opened his eyes, he saw he had stopped just in front of the buffers._

"Thank goodness," said Annie. "I agree there," said Clarabel.

 _There watching him was the Fat Controller. "What are you doing here, Thomas?" he asked._

" _I brought Edward's trucks," Thomas answered. "Why did you come so fast?"_

" _I didn't mean to-I was pushed," said Thomas. "You've got a lot to learn about trucks then, little Thomas. After pushing them about here for a few weeks, you'll know almost as much about them as Edward. Then you'll be a Really Useful Engine."_

* * *

The credits began, and everyone had something to talk about.

"I cannot believe that you stopped at the buffers, Thomas," said Oliver. "You could've derailed!"

"I know," said Thomas. "I was lucky."

"Yes, yes you were," said Gordon in a more sombre tone.

"At least you learnt from that mistake," said Edward. "Yes, I did," replied Thomas. "And you earned your Branchline too," said the Fat Controller. "Speaking of which…."

"The next one is how you got your branchline!" cheered Percy excitedly. James looked at Thomas and smiled apologetically. Thomas returned it.

 **AN: I think the engines would easily notice the famous changing trucks in this episode.**

 **And the next one, ladies and gentlemen-Thomas and the Breakdown Train!**


	8. Thomas and the Breakdown Train

Episode Seven was _Thomas and The Breakdown Train_. Thomas and James looked at each other with understanding looks-they both had it figured out what this episode was about.

 _Every day, the Fat Controller came to the station to catch his train._

Gordon smiled.

" _Hello," he always said to Thomas. "Remember, don't be impatient, Thomas. You can never be as fast and strong as Gordon,_ (here Gordon smiled) _, but you can be a Really Useful Engine. Don't let the silly trucks tease you!"_

"I'm not exactly looking forward to this one," said James nervously. "Why not?" asked Mavis.

 _There were lots of trucks, and Thomas worked very hard pushing and pulling them into place._

"We've all done so," said Toby.

 _There was also a small coach, and two strange things his driver called cranes. "That's the Breakdown Train," he told Thomas. "The cranes are for lifting heavy things, like engines and coaches and trucks."_

"Or all your egos," said Percy cheekily to the three Big Engines. Thomas snickered, unaware that he was also the butt of that joke too.

* * *

 _One day, Thomas was in the yard. Suddenly, he heard an engine whistling._

James looked down at his buffers.

" _Help! Help!" A goods train came rushing through much too fast._

James' eyes widened at the dramatization of his first accident-the other engines, even Gordon, did so too, especially when it showed sparks coming from his brake blocks. The music didn't help.

 _The engine was James, and he was frightened. His brake blocks were on fire! "They're pushing me! They're pushing me!" he panted._

Some of the engines looked down, confused as to how steel brake blocks could catch fire.

" _On! On! On!" laughed the trucks._

The engines who were there at the time each had looks which said, 'Thank goodness they got what was coming'. Those who arrived later had looks that said 'I hope those trucks got what they deserved'.

 _Still whistling "Help! Help!" poor James disappeared. "I'd like to teach those trucks a lesson," said Thomas the Tank Engine._

James looked at Thomas with a weak smile and a sorry look in his eyes.

 _Soon came the alarm. "James is off the line! The breakdown train, quickly!"_

The other engines looked at Thomas, Edward, Anne and Clarabel and The Fat Controller with proud looks, James with a look that said 'Thank you', and Gordon with a pleased look.

 _Thomas was coupled on, and off they went._

"Was this the first crash on the Railway?" asked Mavis. "Yes, it was the first," replied Henry.

 _Thomas worked his hardest. "Hurry, hurry, hurry!" he puffed. He wasn't pretending to be like Gordon-he really meant it._

Gordon looked at the little tank engine and smiled.

" _Bother those trucks and their tricks! I hope poor James isn't hurt."_

The other engines then looked at James with sorry looks as the screen showed James on his side, derailed, in a field, with some trucks damaged and derailed behind him.

* * *

 _James's driver and fireman were feeling him all over to see if he was hurt. "Never mind, James," they said, "it wasn't your fault. It was those wooden brakes they gave you. We always said they were no good."_

This answered the silently asked question by some of the other engines, as TV Thomas appeared with an angry look upon his face.

 _Thomas pushed the Breakdown Train alongside, then he pulled the unhurt trucks out of the way. "Oh dear! Oh dear!" they groaned. "Serves you right, serves you right!" puffed Thomas._

James's smile grew, as a montage of scenes began.

 _He was hard at work-puffing backwards and forwards all afternoon. "This'll teach you a lesson, this'll teach you a lesson," he told the trucks. And they answered "Yes it will, yes it will!"_

The other engines grinned. It was always fun when trucks received their comeuppance.

 _They left the broken trucks, then with two cranes they put James back on the rails._

Everybody watched as the cranes lifted James up and back onto the track. No-one said anything, they all watched silently.

 _He tried to move, but he couldn't. So Thomas helped him back to the Shed._

"Thanks. And to think they've tricked me again and again," said James. "It's okay, James. It happens to all of us," replied Thomas.

 _The Fat Controller was waiting anxiously for them. "Well Thomas," he said, "I've heard all about it, and I'm very pleased with you. You're a Really Useful Engine."_

Thomas smiled. He knew what came up next.

" _James shall have some proper brakes and a new coat of paint, and you shall have a Branchline all to yourself." "Oh, Thank You, Sir!" said Thomas._

"So that's how you got a branchline," said Emily quietly.

 _Now Thomas is as happy as can be. He has a Branchline and two coaches called Annie and Clarabel. He puffs backwards and forwards with them all day._

"Hurrah, our debut!" called out Clarabel. Thomas, Edward, James, Toby, Percy, Emily and Duck couldn't help but laugh.

 _He is never lonely. Edward and Henry stop quite often and tell him the news. Gordon is always in a hurry, but never forgets to say "Poop! Poop!" And Thomas always whistles, "Peep, peep!" in return._

The credits began to roll, and Gordon looked at Thomas. "Shame to say you also say a witty remark at me too."

"Well, according to Edward, I had bad influences," replied Thomas, glaring at him and Henry. Edward and James laughed.

"Oh, and James, be happy for that crash. Percy would never have come here as a result, and neither would Duck or Toby, and you now have a unique coat of paint!" said The Fat Controller. James looked the three engines and at his paint, and smiled. "I suppose you're right sir," he said.

"Good. And these next few have you as the focus," said the Fat Controller. James lit up fully now.

* * *

 **AN: At long last, Thomas gets his Branchline!**

 **It's harder than you think to write these. I have to watch the episodes on YouTube and pause, then rewind if I miss something. All in all, ideally about twenty minutes to an hour, depending on the uncertainties.**

 **Next up-the James trilogy!**

 **Reviews are welcome. Share if you want to.**


	9. James and the Coaches

James was looking forward to these next few episodes centred on him. Though it did worry him slightly when the titles showed themselves to be 'James and the Coaches'. He knew what was coming, and so did Thomas, Edward, Henry and Gordon, three of whom grinned.

The episode started with James puffing down the line with some jazzy music playing.

* * *

 _James was enjoying his life on the Island of Sodor, but he still had a lot to learn._

"You still do," muttered Edward.

" _You're a special mixed-traffic engine," said the Fat Controller. "You can pull coaches or trucks quite easily, but you must learn by your mistakes._

"I've done so, don't worry," said James nervously with a nervous chuckle, causing Thomas and Gordon to snicker quietly.

 _James knew what the Fat Controller meant. He could well remember that dreadful accident on his first day._

Thomas and James looked at one another and smiled.

" _Be careful with the coaches, James!" said Edward. "They don't like being bumped!"_

James's face went slightly pink, as Thomas, Gordon and Henry snickered quietly.

 _Everyone came to admire James. "I'm a Really Splendid Engine," he thought, and suddenly let off steam._

"When was this?" asked Emily. "1947," replied Gordon, breathing heavily so as not to laugh.

 _A shower of water fell on the Fat Controller's nice new top-hat._

Everybody chuckled, except James and the Fat Controller, who was looking at James with a disapproving face.

 _Just then, the guard blew his whistle, and James thought they had better go. "Go on! Go on!" he puffed to Edward. "Don't push! Don't push!" replied Edward. The coaches were grumbling too. "Don't go so fast, don't go so fast!" but James didn't listen._

"Tut, tut, tut," said Gordon cheekily.

 _When at last, they stopped at the next station, two coaches were beyond the platform. They had to go back and let the passengers out._

"It's happened before," said Edward, his face going slightly pink. "I know," said Thomas, who had done so several times over the years.

 _But no-one seemed to know about the Fat Controller's top-hat, so James felt happier._

Edward and James smiled.

 _Presently, they came to the station where Thomas was waiting with his two coaches._

Thomas smiled. So did Annie and Clarabel.

" _Hello James! Feeling better? That's right."_

"A child who just got a new toy," murmured Duck to Mavis, Oliver and the Scottish Twins, who chuckled quietly.

" _Oh! That's my guard's whistle, I must go. I don't know what the Fat Controller would without me to run this branchline!" And he puffed off importantly._

"How big was your ego?" asked Mavis. "Very," replied Henry with a smirk.

 _Edward and James passed the field where James had had his accident. The fence was mended and the cows were back again._

"There's Miller!" whispered Percy, causing several chuckles from both engine and workman.

 _They ended their journey and rested before setting off for home. James was still wondering about what the Fat Controller would say about his top-hat._

"A lot," said Gordon with a straight face.

* * *

 _Next morning the Fat Controller spoke severely to James. "If you can't behave I shall take away your red coat and paint you blue!" James didn't like that at all._

"Here it comes," chuckled Thomas. Gordon and Henry chuckled too. Edward sighed. James's face turned pink.

The screen then showed James banging the coaches, causing several engines to send him angry glares.

 _He was very rough with the grumbling coaches as he brought them to the platform. "Don't talk! Come on!" he called to them. "Gordon never has to fetch his own coaches," he thought to himself, "and he's only painted blue!"_

"I am important, James," said Gordon. "So is that ditch, I suppose," said Percy quickly.

 _To make James even more cross, this time no-one came near him. "I'll show them," he thought. "They think Gordon is the only engine who can pull coaches."_

"Ahem," coughed Edward. James's cheeks turned light red and he smiled nervously.

" _Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!" puffed James. "You're going too fast! You're going too fast!" replied the coaches. James laughed and tried to go faster, but the coaches wouldn't let him._

"This is when it happened," sighed Edward, as Thomas, Gordon and Henry smiled with glee. Percy joined in too, especially since he had caught on to what was going to happen.

" _We're going to stop," they said. "We're going to stop."_

* * *

James went full red in the face, as Thomas, Henry, Gordon, Percy, Toby and Duck began chuckling quietly.

" _What's the matter?" James asked his driver. "The brakes are hard on. A leak in the pipe, most likely. You've banged the coaches hard enough to make a leak in anything."_

Thomas went to full-on chuckling now, and Gordon and Henry were on the verge of laughter.

" _How should we mend it?" said the guard. "We'll do it with a newspaper and a leather bootlace," replied the driver._

"Oh no," groaned James, as Thomas, Henry, Gordon and Percy began laughing. Emily began chuckling too.

" _Where's the bootlace comin' from?" asked the guard. "Ask the passengers," said the driver._

Duck was breathing heavily now to prevent himself from laughing, and Thomas was laughing and listening to what the narrator said.

" _You have a leather bootlace there, I see, sir," said the guard to a smartly-dressed man. "Please give it to me."_

Percy was laughing now. James was looking at his buffers in embarrassment.

" _I won't," said the man. "Then," said the guard, "I'm afraid the train will just stop where it is." The passengers all said what a bad railway it was. Then they told the man how bad he was instead. Everyone was very cross._

"Tut, tut, tut," said Duck, having recovered.

 _At last, he handed his laces over. The driver tied a pad of newspaper tightly round the hole in the brake pipe, and James was able to pull the train._

 _But he was a sadder and wiser James, and took care never to bump coaches again._

* * *

Like usual, the credits came and everybody began speaking after they ended.

"Well Thomas, Rosie could run the branchline," said the Fat Controller with a big grin on his face. The other engines laughed and snorted and going "Ooh!" Thomas went slightly pink.

"But enough about Branchlines," said Gordon with an evil tone, "I think the real lesson here is that James must always be reminded to bring bootlaces in case the brake pipes leak again." This caused a wave of snickers and laughter.

"At least he learnt not to ruin top-hats, too!" said Percy, causing more laughs and snickering. James began to go from red to seeing red.

"At least this bootlace episode shows we're near to where you lost your way on the loop line, Gordon," said James snarkily.

Before Gordon was able to think up a witty comeback, the Fat Controller stepped in. "Let's start the next one, shall we?"

* * *

 **Sorry for not being around for a while. I hope this makes up for my 11-day absence.**

 **Reviews are always welcome. Follow if you like it, share with your friends if you want to, favourite if you like it.**


	10. Troublesome Trucks

The episode right after the bootlaces was titled 'Troublesome Trucks'. James and Edward looked at one another and grinned. The Fat Controller, Gordon, Henry and Thomas smiled, and the other engines raised an eyebrow as to why they did so.

 _James had not seen the Fat Controller for several days. He was left alone for being naughty, and was not even allowed out to push coaches and trucks in the yard._

" _Oh dear," he thought, "I shall have to stay in the shed for always, and no-one shall see my red coat again!"_

Edward, Duck, Emily and Annie and Clarabel sighed.

" _All because I went so fast I made a hole in one of my coaches that had to be mended with-of all things, a passenger's bootlace!"_

 _At last, the Fat Controller arrived. "I see you are sorry, James," he said. "I hope now you will be a better engine."_

" _You have given me a lot of trouble-people are laughing at my railway, and I don't like that at all!"_

"I still don't," said the Fat Controller, glaring at the three Big Engines and Thomas, who each blushed.

 _"I'm very sorry, sir," said James, "I will try hard to behave."_

" _That's a good engine," said the Fat Controller. "I want you to pull some trucks for me." James was delighted and puffed away._

" _Here are your trucks, James!" said Thomas. "Have you got some bootlaces ready?" And he ran off, laughing._

"Hahaha," laughed James sarcastically whilst glaring at Thomas.

* * *

" _OH! OH! OH!" said the trucks. "We want a proper engine, not a red monster!" James took no notice and started as soon as the guard was ready. "Come along, come along," he huffed._

" _We won't! We won't!" screamed the trucks. But James didn't care, and he pulled the screeching trucks out of the station._

"Probably one of your finest moments," whispered Gordon to James.

 _The trucks tried hard to make him give up, but he still kept on. Sometimes their brakes would slip on, and sometimes their axles would run hot, and each time, the trouble had to be put right. And each time, James would start again. Determined not to let them beat him._

"I hope you did, James," said Percy, his eyes glued to the screen.

" _Give up! Give up! You can't pull us, you can't, you can't!" called the trucks. "I can and I will! I can and I will!" puffed James._

"And I did it then and I could do it today!" puffed James proudly.

 _And slowly but surely, he pulled them along the line._

 _At last, they saw Gordon's Hill. "Look out for trouble, James," warned his driver. "We'll go up fast and get them before they know it. Don't let them stop you!" So James went faster and soon they were halfway up._

" _I'm doing it, I'm doing it!" he panted. "Will the top never come?"_

"It does eventually," said Henry.

* * *

 _Then, with a sudden jerk, it all became easier. "I've done it! I've done it!" he puffed. "Hooray! It's easy now!" But his driver shut off steam. "They've done it again! We've left our tail behind. Look!"_

 _The last trucks were running backwards down the hill. The coupling had snapped! But the guard stopped the trucks and got out to warn approaching engines._

"A good thing too," murmured Edward.

" _That's why it was easy!" said James, as he backed the trucks carefully down. "What silly things trucks are!"_

"We're all behind you there," said Oliver and Toby together.

 _"There might have been an accident!"_

"Too true," agreed Duck and Emily.

" _Shall I help you James?" called Edward._

 _"Er, no thank you," answered James, " I'll pull them myself!"_

"Good thing you did, otherwise they'd never take you seriously again," whispered Edward to James.

 _"Good. Don't let them beat you! You're doing well!" whistled Edward, as James slowly struggled up the hill._

* * *

 _"I CAN do it! I CAN do it!" he puffed. He pulled and puffed as hard as he could._

"You did do it," said a beaming Henry.

 _"I'VE DONE IT! I'VE DONE IT!" he panted._

"Good job James!" said Percy, amazed at how soon James had managed to get the trucks to respect him after coming to the Island.

 _They reached their station safely, and James was resting in the Yard when Edward pulled up._

"A small local-James was taking my coaches back," whispered Edward to the others.

 _"Peep, peep!" he whistled. Then, James saw the Fat Controller._

James smiled at the memory.

 _"Oh dear! What will he say?" he asked himself._

Emily raised a confused eyebrow. So did Duck.

 _But the Fat Controller was smiling. "I was in Edward's train and I saw everything," he said. "You've made the most Troublesome Trucks on the line behave."_

Emily, now understanding, looked at James and smiled a friendly smile, as the TV Fat Controller said _"After that, you deserve to keep your red coat."_

* * *

"You did wonderful that day James-and since then, you haven't had as many accidents," said Edward.

"Well, he had one or two, or three more, after the tar, but we've all had accidents," said Thomas, cheekily at first, then with a smile.

"And this next one is how I regained Gordon's respect when he lost his way," said James, knowing the chain of events and glancing at a reddening Gordon (reddening with embarrassment).

* * *

 **Sorry for the delay, I had some...personal matters I'd rather not talk about.**

 **I hope this makes up for it. I'll be starting on 'James and the Express' next week.**


	11. James & The Express

Sure enough, the next episode was titled _James and the Express_ , and Thomas, Edward (in a rare act of schadenfreude), Henry and James were snickering, while Gordon looked down at his buffers in embarrassment, though he knew he'd feel better by the ending.

 _One night, Henry and Gordon were alone with James. Although the Fat Controller was beginning to think well of him, whenever a chance came the other engines would talk of nothing but bootlaces._

"Jerks," muttered Oliver. "It's part of their friendship," replied Edward.

" _Remember the time one had to be used to get you out of trouble, James?" they would tease._

"It was funny the first three-hundred times I heard it," muttered James sarcastically.

 _James tried to get his own back, talking about engines who got shut up in tunnels and stuck on hills._

"Nice try, James," said Percy mock-sadly. James narrowed his eyes at him.

 _But they wouldn't listen._

" _You talk too much, little James," said Gordon._

"Oh, so what do you do then?" asked Thomas snarkily, causing chuckles and snorts, while Gordon growled and glared.

" _A fine strong engine like me has something to talk about. I'm the only engine who can pull the Express-_

Henry and Emily coughed.

" _when I'm not there they need two engines! Think of that! I've pulled Expresses for years, and have never once lost my way!_

"You jinxed it there," said Duck with a coal-eating grin.

" _I seem to know the right line by instinct."_

 _Every wise engine knows, of course, that the signalman works the points to make engines run on the right lines, but Gordon was so proud he had forgotten._

"Karma's coming for you," said Toby.

" _Wake up James!" said Gordon the next morning. "It's nearly time for the Express. What are you doing? Odd jobs?_

"Theer eemporrtant," said Donald. "Aye, thee arr," agreed Douglas.

" _Oh well, we all have to begin somewhere, don't we? Run along now and get me my coaches._

"You go get them," muttered Mavis crossly.

" _Don't be late!"_

"Oh, I won't," said James smugly, as the Fat Controller chuckled.

 _James went to get Gordon's coaches. They were all shining with lovely new paint._

"Love pulling them after that," said Edward. "That's when they're most agreeable."

 _He was careful not to bump them,_

"Good!" huffed Annie and Clarabel.

" _and they followed him smoothly into the station, singing happily. "We're going away! We're going away!"_

" _I wish I was going with you," said James, "I would love to pull the Express and go flying along the line!"_

"You do sometimes nowadays," said Gordon.

 _Gordon, with much noise and blowing of steam, got ready to back onto the train._

"Ah, so he was always like that," said Duck.

 _The Fat Controller was on the train with other important people, and as soon as they heard the guard's whistle, Gordon started. "Look at me now! Look at me now!" he puffed._

"I have, and it's an ugly sight," said Emily in a deadpan tone. Thomas and Edward chuckled.

 _And the coaches glided after him. "Poop! Poop! Poop! Poop! Poop! Goodbye, little James! See you tomorrow!"_

"Oh, your arrival was too early," chuckled Henry.

 _James watched the train disappear, and then went back to work. He pushed some trucks into their proper sidings, and went to fetch the coaches for another train._

"Whose?" asked Emily. "Mine," replied Edward.

* * *

 _James had just brought the coaches to the platform, when he heard a mournful noise._

"Uh oh," muttered Percy.

 _There was Gordon, trying to sidle into the station without being noticed._

" _Hello Gordon. Is it tomorrow?" asked James._

The other engines chuckled at James' witticism.

 _Gordon didn't answer. He just let off steam feebly._

" _Did you lose your way, Gordon?" said James._

Thomas and Percy openly laughed.

" _No. It was lost for me. I was switched off the main line onto the loop._

"What happened to that signalman?" asked Toby. "He was suspended," replied the Fat Controller.

" _I had to go all round and back again."_

" _Perhaps it was…instinct," said James._

"Now that, in hindsight, was brilliant!" chuckled Gordon, as well as the other engines.

 _Meanwhile, all the passengers hurried to the booking office. "We want our money back!" they shouted._

"Oh, well that had to happen at some point," said Edward nonchalantly.

 _But the Fat Controller climbed on a trolley and blew the guard's whistle so loudly that they all stopped to look at him. Then he promised them a new train at once._

" _Gordon can't do it," he said. "Will you pull it for us, James?"_

"Here it comes!" said James proudly.

" _Yes sir, I'll try!"_

 _So James was coupled on and everyone got in._

 _"Do your best, James!" said the Fat Controller._

"And I did, too!" puffed James with a smug smile.

 _"Come along! Come along!" puffed James. "You're pulling us well, you're pulling us well!" sang the coaches._

"I love this music, I really do," said James with a smile as the jazzy leitmotif played. "It's nice and jazzy, yes," said Edward.

 _Bridges and stations flashes by, the passengers cheered, and they soon reached the station. Everyone said 'thank you' to James, and the Fat Controller was very impressed._

"That's a good thing," murmured a driver.

 _"Well done," he said. "Would you like to pull the Express sometimes?"_

 _"Yes, please!" answered James._

"How do they do the eye-thing?" asked Toby with a raised eyebrow. The other engines were thinking the same thing.

 _Next day, when James came by, Gordon was pushing trucks._

Thomas and Percy gasped in mock-shock. Gordon glared again.

 _"I like some quiet work for a change," he said._

 _"I'm teaching these trucks manners._

"Not well enough," grumbled many of the engines, Gordon among them.

 _"You did well with those coaches, I hear._ _Good. We'll show them."_

 _And he gave his trucks a bump._

 _James and Gordon are now good friends._

"Yes. Who throw vitriol at one another," muttered Edward.

 _James sometimes takes the Express to give Gordon a rest. Gordon never talks about bootlaces, and they are both quite agreed on the subject of trucks._

"Well, that was an amusing and informative end to your story arc," said Edward.

"I agree. It's nice to know how you all became friends," added Emily.

"You'll be seeing some more, Emily," said the Fat Controller. "These next few are about Thomas's early days on the branchline."

* * *

 **AN: Okay, when I said next week last time…**

 **Well, I hope you'll like this. The next chapter's right after this.**


	12. Discontinuation of this Story

**I'm afraid I'm going to have to stop this fic for now. It isn't because I've run out of episodes to 'adapt' (heavens, no), but this fic is now on the 'Reportable offense' community, which means that I could get into trouble over this.**

 **The last thing I would like to happen to me is to be banned and my stories taken down. So, regrettably, I have no choice but to stop updating.**

 **To those who have favourited and followed this fic, I thank you for liking it. Maybe someday, I'll continue it in a different way that doesn't get me in trouble. But not for the time being.**

 **Ciao,**

 **DrAveBat007.**


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